Graham Alexander is recalling his “baptism of fire” at Bradford City, the club he has helped resuscitate in a little under two years in charge.

Alexander took the reins with the team 18th in League Two and still hurting from a play-off semi-final defeat that one Bantams insider says “we were wearing like a millstone around our neck for months”.

“You come in with your ideas and you want some early wins to get the faith of people but we lost our first two and in the second game we were 4-0 down at Notts County at half-time, live on Sky Sports,” Alexander says with a chuckle.

If it hurt on the sidelines, the away end was positively seething. Bradford – big crowds, a fine modern stadium and time spent in the Premier League – had become a byword for lower league underachievement. Something,

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